Harvester with predictive ground speed regulation

Abstract

A combine harvester ( 10 ), has driven wheels or tracks ( 14 ) for moving the combine harvester; a system for detecting characteristics of crop plants ( 96 ) in front of the combine harvester and for calculating an expected mass throughput of the combine harvester from the detected physical characteristics; an electronic control ( 80 ), configured to control the ground speed of the combine harvester to maintain a desired mass throughput of the combine harvester in consideration of the expected mass throughput of the combine harvester; and a sensor ( 86 ) for detecting a combine harvester parameter that is indicative of an actual mass throughput of the combine harvester; wherein the electronic control is configured to compare an output value of the sensor to a value indicating the expected mass throughput and to use a result of the comparison as feedback to control the speed of the combine harvester.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A combine harvester ( 10 ), comprising:
 driving means ( 14 ) for moving the combine harvester ( 10 ) at a ground speed (“V”) over a field; 
 a system for detecting physical characteristics of a group of crop plants ( 96 ) standing in front of the combine harvester ( 10 ) and for calculating an expected mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ) from said detected physical characteristics; 
 an electronic control ( 80 ), which is configured to automatically control the ground speed (“V”) of the combine harvester ( 10 ) to maintain a desired mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ) by taking into consideration the expected mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ); and 
 a sensor ( 86 ) for detecting a parameter of the combine harvester ( 10 ) indicative of an actual mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ); 
 wherein the electronic control ( 80 ) is configured to compare an output value of the sensor ( 86 ) to a value indicative of the expected mass throughput and to use a result of the comparison as a feedback value to control the ground speed (“V”) of the combine harvester ( 10 ); 
 wherein the system comprises a distance sensor ( 90 ) having a transmitter ( 92 ) for transmitting successive electromagnetic waves against a group of crop plants ( 96 ) standing in front of the combine harvester ( 10 ), a receiver ( 94 ) configured to receive reflections of the successive electromagnetic waves from the group of crop plants ( 96 ), and an evaluation unit ( 98 ) for calculating the expected mass throughput in the combine harvester ( 10 ), with an aid of traveling times and/or amplitudes of the reflections; 
 wherein the successive electromagnetic waves from the transmitter ( 92 ) are radiated, horizontally and/or vertically polarized radar waves, wherein the receiver ( 94 ) receives vertically polarized radar waves and/or horizontally polarized radar waves reflected from the group of crop plants ( 96 ), wherein the successive electromagnetic waves comprise radar waves of a single frequency or of different frequencies, and the evaluation unit ( 98 ) is configured to calculate a time derivation of a space filling degree of the group of crop plants ( 96 ) with dry mass and water and a taken-up volume (<V T >), with an aid of the radar waves received. 
 
     
     
       2. A combine harvester ( 10 ), comprising:
 driving means ( 14 ) for moving the combine harvester ( 10 ) at a ground speed (“V”) over a field; 
 a system for detecting physical characteristics of a group of crop plants ( 96 ) standing in front of the combine harvester ( 10 ) and for calculating an expected mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ) from said detected physical characteristics; 
 an electronic control ( 80 ), which is configured to automatically control the ground speed (“V”) of the combine harvester ( 10 ) to maintain a desired mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ) by taking into consideration the expected mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ); and 
 a sensor ( 86 ) for detecting a parameter of the combine harvester ( 10 ) indicative of an actual mass throughput of the combine harvester ( 10 ); 
 wherein the electronic control ( 80 ) is configured to compare an output value of the sensor ( 86 ) to a value indicative of the expected mass throughput and to use a result of the comparison as a feedback value to control the ground speed (“V”) of the combine harvester ( 10 ); 
 wherein the sensor ( 86 ) detects a pressure in a hydraulic cylinder ( 66 ), wherein said hydraulic cylinder ( 66 ) is configured to adjust a belt variator for driving an axial threshing and separating rotor ( 37 ). 
 
     
     
       3. The combine harvester ( 10 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the electronic control ( 80 ) is configured to take into consideration a time delay between the producing of a value dependent on the expected mass throughput and a magnitude detected by the sensor ( 86 ). 
     
     
       4. The combine harvester ( 10 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the electronic control ( 80 ) comprises a model ( 108 ) of the combine harvester ( 10 ), which is used for a determination of a value dependent on the expected mass throughput, which is also used for a specification of the ground speed (“V”). 
     
     
       5. The combine harvester ( 10 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein the electronic control ( 80 ) is configured to compare the value dependent on the expected mass throughput, which is time-delayed, to the value of the sensor ( 86 ).